Biotechnology Can Battle #COVID-19
The SARS-COV-2 Popularly called the 2019 novel coronavirus has brought the world to a standstill by causing the Coronavirus pandemic. (#COVID-19)
The spread of the virus
The virus’ genome is made up of a single strand of RNA which can be used directly for viral protein synthesis during viral multiplication. But unlike other organisms, viruses lack the machinery required to multiply on their own. So, they hijack a host cell and use their machinery for replication.
How biotechnology might help.
- Understanding these mechanisms holds the key to the development of suitable vaccines and antiviral drugs.
- A strong collaborative approach of different branches of biotechnology is essential to come up with preventive and therapeutic strategies in such trying times. At Bennett University (BU), the BTech Biotechnology curriculum provides students with a strong foundation in microbes and immune system, where they learn about the biology of pathogens such as viruses and how they interact with our immune systems.
- They can imbibe the techniques of culturing them in courses like Cell and Tissue Culture Technologies and also learn to clone different proteins like the viral spike protein in courses like rDNA Technology. Further, they are taught how to engineer those proteins for beneficial applications in Protein Engineering and Applications course while vaccine and therapeutics development are taught as part of Antibody Engineering Technologies.
- A strong lab component in each course along with a robust research program and multiple projects funded by the government ensures that students receive both theoretical and practical training. (The author Mrittika Sengupta is assistant professor Department of Biotechnology, Bennett University).
- Ref. The Times of India 23 March 2020
